Book Review: Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton

Despite her life-long fascination with the infamous Jack the Ripper, young London policewoman Lacey Flint has never worked a murder case or seen a corpse up close. Until now...

As she arrives at her car one evening, Lacey is horrified to find a woman slumped over the door. She has been brutally stabbed, and dies in Lacey's arms. 

Thrown headlong into her first murder hunt, Lacey will stop at nothing to find this savage killer.

But when Lacey receives a familiar letter, written in blood, pre-fixed Dear Boss and hand-delivered, it is clear that a Ripper copycat is at large. And one who is fixated on Lacey herself.

Can this inexperienced detective outwit a killer whose role model has never been found?

I read S.J. Bolton's last book Sacrifice for The Great Transworld Crime Caper and loved it so I jumped at the chance to review her latest one.
Now You See Me follows Lacey Flint who is first on the scene at a viscous murder. Feeling as though she could have done more, Lacey throws herself into the investigation. She had no idea just how much she would become involved, she receives a letter pre-fixed Dear Boss and realises that they have a Jack the Ripper copycat on their hands.
Dana Tullock is heading up the investigation and takes Lacey under her wing. The pressure is on Dana as the bodies start piling up and the finger is pointed at police incompetency. DI Mark Joesbury is helping with the investigation , the tension between him and Lacey is palpable and when it becomes clear that Lacey is a target, it only intensifies.
The police believe that the killer is copying the pattern of Jack the Ripper but then events happen out of sequence or have the wrong hallmarks. How are they meant to draw comparisons between the present and a Victorian serial killer whose identity has never been revealed?
S.J. Bolton does not hold back in her descriptions of the murder victims and this makes for gritty and extremely realistic reading. You could feel how terrified these victims were, just like those murdered by Jack the Ripper.
There is a delicious twist at the end of the book that I didn't see coming at all and I love it when that happens. I can't recommend this book enough, Now You See Me has murder, suspense, sexual tension, drama, blood and guts. I really enjoyed the Jack the Ripper element as it had clearly been well researched and executed
Now You See Me kept me up late into the night and I can't wait for S.J. Bolton's next offering.

Many thanks to the lovely people at Transworld for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now.

Book Review: The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett

Three years ago, forensics expert David Hunter abandoned his old life after a tragedy nearly destroyed him. Now working as a doctor in a remote Norfolk village, he believes he's left his past behind...
But then they find what's left of Sally Palmer. The body has been savagely mutilated. The police need Hunter's expertise to find the killer but he is desperate to remain uninvolved. Then a second woman disappears and the close-knit community that had been Hunter's refuge becomes a maelstrom of fear and paranoia. No-one is exempt from suspicion. Suddenly there is no place to hide.

This is the last book that I have read for The Great Transworld Crime Caper and it is definitely my favourite of the three.
David Hunter moves to the small town of Manham, he quickly discovers that unless you were born there then you will always be considered an outsider. He doesn't mind too much and tries to get on with his new life as the village GP. But then Sally Palmer's body is found, she too was an outsider but the village goes into shock. Before moving to Manham, David was a forensic anthropologist, when the police find out, they call on him to help with the case as they are at a complete loss. He is very reluctant to help but knows that he has a duty to do so. The villagers don't see it that way though and their suspicions about Dr Hunter are raised. When a second woman from the village disappears, David and the police know that they have a serial killer on the loose, one that could be living among them.
Simon Beckett really captured the small village atmosphere. When the villagers join together, it begins to feel like a witch hunt with no escape and this really adds to the overall tension in the book.
I thought that the forensic anthropology aspect of the book was fascinating and it was clear that the author had done their research. It was really interesting to see how the tiniest elements of a crime scene can yield enormous clues that the killer wouldn't even be aware of.
The author is extremely good at leading you down one path, letting you think that you have worked it all out and then yanking you back down a different path. I loved this about the book as I was kept guessing right until the very end.
I have really enjoyed The Great Transworld Crime Caper and I would like to thank Lynsey for organising it and introducing me to three fantastic authors.

Book Review: Birdman by Mo Hayder

Greenwich, south-east London. DI Jack Caffery- young, driven, unshockable- is called to one of the most gruesome crime scenes he has ever seen.
Five young women have bee ritualistically murdered and dumped on wasteland near the Dome. Subsequent post-mortems reveal a singular, horrific signature linking the victims.
Soon Caffery realises that he is on the trail of that most dangerous offender: a serial killer. Beset by animosity within the police force, haunted by the memory of a very personal death, long ago, Caffery employs every weapon forensic science can offer to hunt him down.
Because he knows that it is only a matter of time before this sadistic killer strikes again...

This book is the second that I have read for The Great Transworld Crime Caper. I have not read any of Mo Hayder's previous books but after reading Birdman, I am definitely a fan.
The book centres around DI Jack Caffery, he like many fictional detectives has some skeletons in his closet but he really is a good guy, I really warmed to him throughout the book and he is a character I would like to read more of in the future.
Jack's team uncover the bodies of five women who have been buried for different periods of time. they have all be ritualistically killed and it appears that a small, live bird was sewn into their chests. With a body count of five to begin with, Jack knows that they are looking for a sadistic serial killer and time is not on their side.
Mo Hayder scatters clues throughout the book and then ties all the strings together at the end. I was on the edge of my seat several times but I don't think I was ever able to guess what would happen next. There are some very gruesome descriptions in the book, highlighting the depravity of the killer.
The only negative thing I can say is that there is a lot of medical vocabulary used in the book. Luckily I am married to a doctor so I could ask a few questions; it does add to the feeling of authenticity but it may send a few readers searching on Google.
Birdman is a brilliant thriller which I would highly recommend. I really enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to trying others by the same author.

Many thanks to Transworld for sending me a copy of the book.

Book Review: Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton

Moving to remote Shetland has been unsettling enough for consultant surgeon Tora Hamilton, even before the gruesome discovery she makes one rain-drenched afternoon...
Deep in the peat soil of her field she uncovers the body of a young woman. The heart has been removed, and marks etched into the skin bear an eerie resemblance to carvings Tora has seen in her own cellar.
But as Tora begins to ask questions, terrifying threats start rolling in like the cold island mists...

This is the first book that I have read for The Great Transworld Crime Caper and it's been a brilliant start. S.J. Bolton grabs you and literally does not let go, I just felt that the story got better and better.
Tora Hamilton discovers the body on her land in the first few pages of the book. The gruesome discovery is a shock but she could not have imagined what would happen next. The body which is a young woman has it's heart missing and symbols etched into the back. Tora alerts the police immediately but she cannot leave it alone and begins doing her own investigations. A whole can of worms is opened and Tora believes there are several more bodies buried on Shetland and that the local police, some of her medical colleagues and possibly her own husband are all in on it.
Setting the book on Shetland just adds to the overall atmosphere. The island is steeped in mythology and Tora has to question what is true and what is terrifyingly possible. The island setting also adds to Tora's desperation and isolation. Shetland is tiny and remote, Tora has no where to hide and no one to trust and now plenty of people would be quite happy if she disappeared.
Sacrifice is part thriller, part murder mystery. The pace is relentless, I was completely involved from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book and will definitely be looking up S.J. Bolton's others.

Many thanks to Transworld for sending me a review copy.

The Great Transworld Crime Caper

I shall be taking part in The Great Transworld Crime Caper next month and I thought I should let you all know about it in case any of you wanted to join in too. The idea  is to pick three crime books from a list that Transworld have created and then you have to read and review those books by 31st March. I have picked:

1. Sacrifice by J.S. Bolton
2. Birdman by Mo Hayder
3. The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett

Transworld, the lovely people that they are send you the books one by one, so you send them your review of the first book and they will send you the second, easy! If you want to take part then you have until February 14th to register, all you have to do is click here and follow the instructions!